Midsummer Dreary
by CloudNineInsanity
Summary: Cold and blustering as the day was, he still stood outside watching a tree and its leaves partake in the dance of the wind with memories of his own to guide what he saw. Not long is he joined by a friend, who's concerns he pushes away yet again. There are five stages, he was still stuck at stage one. (After Nobita and the Strange Wind-rider.)


It was chilly that afternoon; the wind blowing in its wicked fashion, causing the tree tops to dance and leaves to flow off like an angered neighbor who could take this racket no longer. Nobita stared as the leaves were taken away from the branches by the wind, his gaze becoming a little wet as he stood under the tree. His eyes followed a certain leaf as it blew straight off and landed at front of his sneaker. Bending over, he picked up the leaf between his index finger and thumb. Standing straight once more, he turned the leaf over to the back and front again. Examining the simple green leaf as if it were a divine specimen before carelessly releasing it and letting the wind carry it off. Not turning to watch as it was swept to the curve and was then drenched as car came by, wheels clashing with a puddle.

It really got to him sometimes, as much as he detested it. When days like this rolled by, he felt a grip at his heart reminding him of a lost friend- someone he swore was still there, yet that made him wonder if he was mad.

"Nobita," the voice was gentle, a voice he liked to hear every day- well, when it was not yelling at least. The voice belonging to Shizuka Minamoto was like that of the sweetest bell, a bell that tolled and woke him back up. He turned and looked at her, alarmed. He was taken off to the darker corner of his mind again, an area reserved to his deepest emotions. Ones that contained memories that only came to existence on days like this. "Ah, Shizuka-chan!" he smiled, not realizing how fake it was. There she stood in a light pink jacket and black pants, symbolizing the days cold in another way, it was still the same either way. "Are you alright?" she asked, despite Nobita being a bit dimwitted and mostly troublesome- infuriating, disgusting...she still cared. They were friends after all, right?

"Hm?" blinking once, twice he responded a moment after his clear confusion. "I'm fine." he replied, waving it off easily. Shizuka's gleamed with doubt, it was unlike him to be quiet, and how could she put it; thoughtful. "You were thinking about Fuuko again, weren't you?" she asked, staring him down. Behind her concern was cold, stern- the simple, gentle assumption inside a question was truly a demand. A demand to know, and only a demand Shizuka could make in such a manner. But Nobita didn't know that.

For a moment, Nobita's breath slowed and he stared off into nothing before his feet landed right back to the patch of grass he was standing upon instead of the weightlessness of space inside his head as memories came by in a flash. "Fuuko?" he asked, thinking of the typhoon spirit he met a month prior to now. "No." he finally responded, stuffing his hands into his coat pockets as he leaned back leisurely, balancing gently on the back of his heels. "When did you get here, Shizuka?" he unwittingly changed the subject. A frown crossed her face, her brows lowering as he expression contorted before turning back to the tame way she had it before. "I've been here, _We've_ been here." Nobita stared at her for a moment, before tilting his head to the left and peered behind her. At that moment he saw Suneo and Gian standing beside the pipes, watching the two converse with curious and perhaps, slightly concerned expressions. Unless he was just imagining it.

Looking away from their audience, he looked back at Shizuka. His mouth going into an 'O' shape, unable to remember when they got here or when _all _of them got here. He searched his mind, looking for _anything_ that happened before he watched the leaf but he suppose he blocked it all out, or maybe he hadn't been there the whole day. Only awake now. Maybe when he looked out his window that morning, seeing rain pour and the wind picking up its pace he fell into his trance and only now he was guided out and was reminded he was not dreaming.

"We're friends, Nobita. Right?" Shizuka suddenly asked, making Nobita jolt in return. Hands pulled away from the insides of his pocket, he threw his arms up and his hands moved back and forth in a wild manner. "Of course we are!" he panicked, what made Shizuka think they weren't friends? Was he really being that distant, or what if she just didn't want to be friends anymore?!

"Then you can tell me." she stated with a calm voice and quiet eyes. Perhaps she shouldn't push the matter, perhaps it was a little less then polite- sticking her nose into business she wasn't truly apart of. But she remembered clearly the incident with Fuuko, she could hear him in her head screaming and crying over the spirit. So she couldn't let it go, or at least not without sharing a few wise, small words.

At that moment, Nobita forgot his hysteria about Shizuka not wanting to be his friend anymore, and his quick daydream about Shizuka running into the arms of Dekisugi and fast forwarding to their wedding day. It brought chills down his spine, that would be a true nightmare. "Tell you what?" he asked, clueless. Even if he knew very well what she meant. He was fine, so what if he got quiet when a storm rolls by? Did his friends really think he was a constant loud-mouthed whiner? Couldn't be a _little_ sensitive sometimes? That really rubbed him the wrong way.

"Never mind." Shizuka sighed, deciding it was best to save this argument for another rainy day. If he wanted to be stubborn then he could be, maybe he just wasn't ready to let his feelings be pronounced. She'd let him hold onto his little grievances for a little while longer, but at some point he would have to walk past all the steps until reaching acceptance. With or without help, but for now she'd let him muddle around in denial. Silence was cast over like a blanket over a child at bedtime as Shizuka turned away and walked back over to Suneo and Gian, few words passed between them; too quiet for him. But he could have sworn one or two glances were sent back his way.

Watching them for a moment or two, Nobita huffed and turned his eyes back to the tree as another leaf was carried off and landed right near his shoe once again, this time he didn't pick it up. Instead, he lifted his leg and stepped on it, turning his foot around effectively crushing it. They could gossip all they liked,

He was _fine. _Fuuko was still here, she was- she was with him. Always. She could be here now, causing the bluster of the day; she was here for him in spirit.

So why did it still hurt?


End file.
